Principal's Team Report

Welcome to our second last Newsletter for Term 1.  

As we head towards the final weeks of Term, there is much for us to be proud of with the broad range of activities offered to engage and further our students’ experiences. This newsletter edition outlines recent activities that our students have been involved in, including Connecting to Country, Student Leaders meeting with Carina Garland, Federal MP at her office to discuss issues impacting on young people. Our Year 7 Girls participated in an Engaging with STEM program sponsored by the Monash Tech School with a former student, Chelsea Watts, as the facilitator. I trust you will enjoy reading more about these wonderful opportunities that have been afforded to our students.  

NAPLAN TESTING 

NAPLAN testing will be undertaken by all students in Years 7 and 9 commencing on Wednesday 13th March.  

All tests will take place in the Bunjil Centre. 

 Students are required to bring their charged Laptop, wired headphones (please note that wireless headphones do not work) and a pen for planning.  

We encourage parents/carers to review the preparation resources with their child and to explore the NAPLAN demonstration site. 

Later in the year you will receive your child’s personal NAPLAN report. The report will describe your child’s particular skills in Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar, and punctuation) and Numeracy. The report will also show how your child performed in relation to national minimum standards. These describe the minimum acceptable standards for students across Australia.     

We are confident that the information you receive as a result of your child’s participation in the NAPLAN tests will be valuable in helping you to assess your child’s progress in Literacy and Numeracy.     

For more information about the tests, please visit the VCAA or the NAP website at:

NAPLAN Timetable 

Annual privacy reminder for our school community 

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice. 

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365 safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365, please contact the school. 

 For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents 

MOBILE PHONES 

A reminder to all members of the community, to remain compliant with the Ministerial Order concerning mobile phone usage during school hours, we request all students to ensure that their phones are secured in their lockers by 8.30am each school day. In addition, we are asking for your support to ensure that students use cash or debit card at the Canteen. This reduces the risk of phone confiscation and the potential for the misuse of mobile devices in anti social activities such as bullying and unauthorised photography. Mobile phones must be stored in lockers until the end of the day. Earbuds are also prohibited. If students require headphones for learning then they should be wired in. The ban on mobile phones during the school day is now in place in the overwhelming majority of government and non-government schools across the country. Please help us to enforce this for the safety and wellbeing of our whole school community. 

EVERY DAY COUNTS 

SECONDARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE   

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your teenager’s education.   

Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind. Below is a detailed article about the importance of attending high school for teenagers.  

SCHOOL IS BETTER WHEN YOUR TEENAGER IS THERE   

Why it’s important   

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school every day.   

Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.   

Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE & VM, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation.   

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes.   

Each missed day is associated with falling behind in subject topics and assessment tasks, and lead to fewer subject choices and may impact on achievement in years 11 and 12 and post-school pathways.    

Getting in early   

It’s never too late to improve attendance. Even in the middle years, when school can seem the most challenging for students and when attendance rates can be at their lowest, going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts.    

Schools are there to help – if you’re having attendance issues with your child, speak to your child’s House Leader about ways to address those issues.   

IN VICTORIA, SCHOOL IS COMPULSORY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 6 – 17 YEARS   

Student Absences    

The main reasons for absence are:   

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and setting good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.   

Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your school in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan.   

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your teenager have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – everyday counts.   

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission or skip out of school during the day. There can be many reasons for truancy; the best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.   

While all absences can effect academic performance, DET’s statistics show that unexcused absences are a much stronger indicator of lower reading and maths achievement.   

School refusal - School refusing children experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of the parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school. 

BEING AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR 1 DAY A FORTNIGHT EQUALS MISSING 1.5 YEARS OVER 13 YEARS OF SCHOOL   

If your teenager is away   

If for any reason your teenager must miss school, there are things you can do with the school to ensure they don’t fall behind:   

Inform the school via phone or Compass   

Find out what work your teenager needs to do to keep up.   

Develop an absence learning plan with your teenager’s Learning and Wellbeing Leader and ensure they complete the plan.   

Remember, every day counts. Openly communicating with your teenager’s school about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer. A School Attendance Officer is a Department of Education and Training Regional Director who has authority to follow up attendance issues. Chronic or ongoing attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice being issued to parent/s.   

If you’re having attendance issues with your teenager, please let the Learning and Wellbeing Leader know so you can work together to get your teen to school every day.   

TOP ATTENDANCE TIPS FOR PARENTS  

Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support.  

Remember that every day counts.  

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness.   

Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day.   

Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea.    

Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term.   

Seek help from your school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing.   

FURTHER INFORMATION    

For more information and resources to help address attendance issues, visit:     

As we head towards the final weeks of Term 1, we encourage our students to attend everyday (unless illness prevents this) and remain engaged in their learning. 

Judy Anderson, Assistant Principal 

On behalf Of the Principal Team